The town
of Dufur was founded by Andrew J. Dufur, Jr., a successful
raiser of stock. Mr. Dufur was from Hugenot descent. While
the town received its post office in 1878, the earliest records
show church meetings in 1862. The pioneer-era families included
George H. and Barbara Barnett (1853), and William R. and Nancy
Jane Benefiel Menefee (1852). The Menefee family first settled
on a Donation Land Claim in Yamhill County, then in 1855 settled
at Dufur where he farmed and was a Justice of the Peace. He
also constructed the first water system for Dufur. The City
of Dufur, incorporated in 1893.

SPOTLIGHT

Bluegrass
Music once a month people from all over gather at the Dufur
Grange Hall to play music. The atmosphere is casual, and
it's a
lot like "Prairie Home Companion". The first Sunday
of the month from 2-6PM, you will find people gathered to
share singing, guitar strumming, fiddle playing, and banjo
picking good times. There is always a feast of homemade pies.
Everyone is invited to this event, and there is no admission
charge. Donations for pie are accepted.

The
Annual Dufur Threshing Bee is held the second weekend of August. Each year since 1971,
the citizens of Dufur have staged a threshing bee, to honor
their history, celebrate the crop just harvested, and share
with their neighbors the pleasures and rewards of working
together as a community. Visitors can see horse-drawn antique
harvesting equipment being used in the fields. This is the
only threshing event in the country that uses horse-drawn
machinery, and demonstrates every step of the process from
cutting standing wheat to sewing up bags for shipping.

The
Threshing Bee offers working demonstrations of authentic
horse-powered and steam-driven combines and other farming
equipment. In the late 1800s, harvesting a wheat crop
was no small matter.
It took teams of 32 horses to move some of the harvesting
equipment. Farmers would hire in harvest crews, and
everyone worked long
hours to get the job done. Farmers' wives' labored to feed
the crews, sometimes spending all day in portable cook shacks
preparing meals for as many as 30 men. The Dufur Threshing
Bee recreates this community wide event, with fun, races,
contests, an antique tractor pull, and more. For information
contact:
(541) 467-2349.